Improvement in fastenings for garments



, lUNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

ELIAS I-IOVVE, JR., OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT EN FASTENINGS FOR GARMENTS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 8,540, dated November 25,1851.

.To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIAS I-IOWE, Jr., of Cambridge, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Fastenings for Garments, Ladies Boots, and otherarticles to which they may be applicable; and I do hereby declare thatthe following description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, hereinafter referred to, forms a full and exact specificationof the same, wherein I have set forth the nature and principles of mysaid invention, by which it may be distinguished from others of asimilar class, together with such parts as I claim and desire to havesecured to me by Letters Patent.

The iigures of the accompanying plate of drawings represent myimprovements.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the two sides of a garment closed or broughttogether by my improved fasteners. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the samewith the two sides of the garment opened from the top, while Fig. 3 isan elevation showing the garment opened from the bottom. Fig. fl is asection taken in the plane of the line A B, Fig. l, with the clasps,dac., covered by lapels. Fig. 5 is a section taken between the clasps,showing the cord, the.

My invention consists of a series of clasps united by a connecting-cord,the said clasps running or sliding upon ribs formed of any suitablematerial.

' The advantage of this manner of fastening garments, &c.,consists inthe ease and quickness with which they can be opened or closed, whilethere is no liabilityof their getting out of order.

a d a d in the drawings represent the flanged ribs, securely fastened tothe sides c c of a garment or other fabric.

CZ d are the clasps, which are bent round the ribs a, as shown in Fig.4, so as to hold the ribs together, yet sufficiently loose to allow themto slide freely over the same. The clasps on each rib are fastenedtogether by a connecting-link l) b, duc., and are set at short distancesapart on the ribs, being connected by a cord f f, (shown in the severalfigures,) each end of which is formed into a loop. This cord is passedthrough the links b b, &c., between each set of two clasps, in a loopform, and is held in that position by a bead g g on the cord, (shown inFig. 5,)

which prevents the said cord from slipping through the link l), therebyconnecting the pairs of clasps together. It will be seen that the claspsand cord being constructed and arranged as above described, the claspscan be moved freely up and down on the flanged ribs, bringing the saidclasps near together and leaving the cord between the pairs of claspsloose or in a loop form, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In Fig. 2 the fabric or two sides of a gar ment are represented as openat the top, the clasps being moved down on the ribs by the loop at thetop. In Fig. 3 the ribs are represented as open at the bottom, theclasps being at the top, while Fig. l represents the two ribs broughttogether or fastened.

It will be evident that there are a variety of ways in which the abovearrangement can be varied but the general principles of the inventionare, it is believed, embodied in the above description. The ribs and theflanges on the same can be made of rubber cloth or of wire or strips ofmetal, so arranged as to be iexible. Another manner of arranging thesame is to secure the clasps to the sides of the parts to be openedorfclosed opposite to each other in pairs, and opening and closing themby sliding the flanged rib instead of the clasps. The ribs in such casemust be made double or one on each side of a narrow flange or strip ofany proper material. The loop at the top end of the cord is to be passedround a button secured to the garment, while the loop at the bottom isto be used to move the slides up and down.

Having thus described my improved mode of fastening garments, dac., Ishall state my claim as follows:

What I claim as my invention, and desire to have secured to me byLetters Patent, is-

l. Theopening, closing, and fastening together the two sides of agarment or other article by means of the clasps and ribs operating incombination, substantially in the manner hereinabove described.

2. The method of connecting the clasps one to the other in pairs and inthe series of pairs by the links, cord, and beads, substantially in themanner hereinabove set forth.

ELIAS l-IOWE, JR.

Witnesses:

EZRA LINCOLN, JosEPH GAvETr.

